Ron’s Review

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I think I may have found my favourite film of 2025–It Was Just an Accident. I cannot put into words how powerful, harrowing, and politically relevant this film is. It is also astoundingly well-made. Not a single scene is out of place. Every shot, every acting decision, every word of dialogue, every edit, and every location is perfect.

That writer-director Jafar Panahi shot this film in just 20 days in Iran, guerrilla-style, without authorization to avoid censorship, is testament to how creative and determined this cast and crew were. And what they’ve created is nothing short of a masterpiece of cinema. This isn’t just the best film of 2025, it’s one of the best I’ve seen in the 2000s.

As Israel and the USA wage war on Iran, watching this film is a reminder of those that are forgotten when powerful men play with their lethal toys—the average person, the regular Iranian just trying to live their lives.

That’s what this film is really about. We have four people, so very different from each and from various walks of life, all brought together by one shared experience. They were all imprisoned and tortured for speaking out against the regime. Their tormentor in prison was Eghbal, a man who suffered a war wound and wore his prosthetic with pride. The squeaking sound of his leg continues to haunt the four.

Now, years later, the four characters are trying to find a way back to normality. Some are more successful at it than others, but none will be the same. Given the opportunity to exact revenge on their torturer, they must decide whether to act on their rage, or to let sleeping dogs lie. The answer isn’t as simple as it should be.

We get such a diverse cast of characters, many without acting experience, and each one brings a wealth of personality to their roles. You are always aware of who you’re watching and why. But the chemistry among them is incredible. You can immediately believe that they’re bound to each other by their experiences. How they accomplished this chemistry in such a short time, I cannot begin to fathom.

What I found particularly remarkable was the use of long takes. Scenes that were 10+ minutes long without a single cut or edit—the actors playing out scenes like this was a theatrical production, not a film. This technique is so effective; it kept me in the moment with the characters, helped me feel what they were feeling, and to empathize with them. Not having to move cameras around for multiple takes was also prudent considering the secretive shooting, but the effect was to create a much more immersive feeling than many of the films we see in Hollywood.

While the overarching story of justice and revenge are powerful, I also loved the small glimpses into every day life. The rampant corruption that adds stakes to even the most regular activities heightened the realism of the film. There’s a scene where someone prioritizes administration over safety that had me literally screaming at the screen. I’m partly glad that I watched this film at home because it evoked a lot of feelings in me.

So many people praised this film but I somehow managed to avoid finding out what it was about. I’m so glad I went in completely blind because the experience of uncovering the plot was more than worth it. This is cinema at its very best. I am blown away.

Mon’s Review

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When you watch a film so good that words like ‘stupendous’, ‘brilliant’ and ‘outstanding’ cannot do it justice, you know that you’ve watched a real masterpiece. It Was Just An Accident is a legitimate masterpiece. I have never seen anything that is so perfectly directed, written, performed, edited, sound-edited before. This is true art.

The film starts with a family on a dark drive home. They have a boisterous little girl and the mom is ever so sensitive because she’s late in her pregnancy. And then, the dad hits something on the way and his car breaks down. A friendly mechanic offers him a hand, and that’s when things take an unsuspecting turn. For them, and definitely for the viewer.

Because this is not a story about a sweet little family, instead it’s about a motley group of strangers who come together for a horrifying reason.

Our cast of characters are fascinating, average people. Folks you wouldn’t turn around to take a second look at, and yet, they have full lives and backstories that deserve to be heard.

Vahid seems to be an average mechanic, desperately juggling his lack of funds with the expectations of his family. Then there’s Shiva, a no-nonsense, kindly photographer, taking charge of making her friend’s big day look good. Said friend is Golrokh, who is marrying Ali. Rounding out this crew is Hamid. The less said about him, the better.

It Was Just An Accident isn’t bothered with explaining things to the viewer. You have no idea what is happening, why it’s happening, and what the stakes are. And yet it never fails to be compelling. Why would these innocent-seeming people make such drastic moves? We find out in slow, aching details that make you sit up. It’s shocking just how much pain, and hurt and justifiable anger these characters, and so many real people, are carrying around with them as they attempt to navigate a normal life.

I have never seen anything like It Was Just An Accident. The guérilla-style cinematography was some of the most authentic I’ve ever seen. The fact that multi-hyphenate Jafar Panahi’s hand was forced to shoot it this way is both angering and yet unsurprising. Artists have always found new and innovative ways to create. This film is a fantastic example of that. And credit to the entire production team who pulled it off and created the realistic feeling of driving through the streets of Tehran, and being in those cramped spaces with the characters.

What really works in the film are the long takes. I cannot believe the majority of the cast aren’t professional actors. The extremely long takes can’t have been easy to perform, but they were perfectly executed. I don’t think I’ve seen this many long takes in a film before but they all work. And they’re imperative because we won’t feel the stress of the characters and their dynamics if we’re not going through every wave of their arguments with them. Outstanding work by all involved.

Nothing, however, can prepare you for the final act. Saying it’s a long take doesn’t do it justice. This is brilliance through and through. And as you go through the emotions of the characters and with the characters you are left questioning your own feelings about the people you’ve spent so much time with. You’ve driven several miles in their shoes, now, you’re part of this crew.

But that ending. I was left feeling bereft and gutted. This ending is perfection. Because life doesn’t end when a film does, and I’ve yet to see a film capture the notion of ‘to be continued’ better than this.

I have some idea of the kinds of injustices that have been, and continue to be, inflicted within the borders of Iran, but this film was even more eye-opening and horrifying. Without showing us anything, through the power of words, we are painted a picture—perhaps only part of a picture—of the crimes committed against innocents. These are systemic injustices which leave the victims feeling even more powerless.

It Was Just An Accident is stark and funny and dark. The chemistry among the characters is so believable. The performances so natural, I can swear I’ve met all of these people before. The cinematography and editing are stunning. You’re not watching a film—you’re in the backseat of a van negotiating an argument with a bride and a madman. The sound-editing in the film, let’s just say, turn up the volume because you need to hear all the details to get the full story. And it’s all packaged together with directorial finesse that boggles the mind. This film is an actual masterpiece. It cannot be missed.